Alton station (Illinois)

Alton Regional Multimodal Transportation Center, also known as Alton station, is a station in Alton, Illinois, that is served by Amtrak's Lincoln Service and the Texas Eagle. The station was also a stop for the Ann Rutledge until April 2007. It is one of four Amtrak stations in the St. Louis metropolitan area; the other three are the Gateway Multimodal Transportation Center located in St. Louis, the Kirkwood station, and the Washington station.

Alton, IL
The Regional Mulitmodal Transportation Center in 2021
General information
Location1 Golf Road
Alton, Illinois
United States
Coordinates38°55′16″N 90°9′26″W / 38.92111°N 90.15722°W / 38.92111; -90.15722
Owned byAmtrak, IDOT, and the City of Alton
Line(s)Union Pacific Railroad
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks1
ConnectionsBus transport Madison County Transit
Construction
Parking227 spaces
Bicycle facilitiesYes
Other information
Station codeAmtrak: ALN
History
Opened1928
Rebuilt1989, 2017
Passengers
FY 202356,027[1] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
St. Louis
Terminus
Lincoln Service Carlinville
toward Chicago
St. Louis Texas Eagle
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
At former station
St. Louis
toward Laredo or Houston
Inter-American Carlinville
toward Chicago
Preceding station Alton Railroad Following station
Wood River
toward St. Louis
Main Line Godfrey
toward Chicago
Godfrey Kansas City – St. Louis Wood River
toward St. Louis
Location
Map

History

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The former station, used until 2017

The former Alton Railroad station, later used by the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad was built of brick. This station was located on College Avenue, south of the current station location. The 1928-built station was demolished after the current transportation center opened.[2]

Under the Federal Railroad Administration's High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) program, the state of Illinois received $1.2 billion to improve the Chicago-St. Louis rail corridor so passenger trains will be able to attain regular speeds of 110 miles per hour (180 km/h). Part of the funding awarded to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) included $7.4 million for the construction of a new station in Alton, which is one of the busiest Amtrak stops in the state. In December 2011, the city received an additional $13.85 million for the new station through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program.[2]

The Alton Regional Multimodal Transportation Center, which opened September 13, 2017, accommodates intercity passenger rail, local and regional buses, taxis, and cyclists. IDOT architects designed the station, and the city then assumed ownership and maintains the property.[2]

Transportation

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Alton Station serves as a multimodal transfer point for Amtrak and Madison County Transit.

Amtrak

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The station is currently served by Amtrak's Lincoln Service and the Texas Eagle,[3] with an average of 10 trains daily.[4]

Bus transportation

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The station is connected to Madison County Transit bus routes 7, 8, and 10.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of Illinois" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Great American Stations. Accessed March 20, 2013.
  3. ^ "Amtrak - Alton, IL (ALN)". www.trainweb.org. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  4. ^ "New Amtrak Station in Alton serves the River Bend Region". Amtrak Media. 2017-09-15. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  5. ^ "Madison County Transit Schedules And Maps". mct.org. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
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